Guest Blog: Author of Nightmare at Emerald High, Joana James

`Nightmare at Emerald High – the Journey

Before I wrote Nightmare at Emerald High, I thought I’d never be able to write a full length novel. I always loved to write and I’ve written many a short story, but I never broke the novella barrier. Nightmare at Emerald High started off as a project to prove to myself that I could go further and do better. I wrote every waking moment, plotted and worked on my characters whilst on my day job and even stopped to jot down notes during sermons (yes, I made notes for my book during church ). I was determined to make this one happen.

One of the things that helped me most was the fact that I loved my story. Malcolm (my protagonist) was a lonely, geeky teenager who loved computers. In other words, he was the male version of me as a teenager. I put Malcolm through the ringer and had him jumping over boxes and running through never ending hallways and I loved it. That, for me, was the key to breaking the novella barrier. I loved the story. It was something I would pick up from a shelf and buy because it sounded like a fun book. It took me about six weeks to bang out the first draft and I was so proud of myself. Part of me wanted to just print the darn book and place a copy in a frame somewhere!

But of course the hard work had only just begun. After several edits, it was finally ready for the public. My first full length novel and I felt like I’d won a Nobel prize!

So here it is – Nightmare at Emerald High – the synopsis.

Malcolm Drake is one year away from the end of high school when a tantalizing scholarship offer comes his way. Malcolm and several other classmates eagerly join a program called Alternative Science that promises to open their minds to new ways of thinking and of course, help them win that scholarship. Little did they know that this program would change their lives forever. The class is riddled with eerie séances, encounters with spirit guides and a slow desensitization of the teens towards everything evil until they become completely entangled in the world of the occult.

With the program being run by the town's most influential people, the kids have a hard time getting out. Teachers that they trust hold them against their will and try underhanded tactics to convince them to remain in the program. Will good prevail over evil? Will the kids escape with their innocence?

Bio:

  

Joana James is a 28 year old author from the island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean. She is an I.T. professional by day but in her free time she escapes from the logical world of technology into the artistic world. She is an avid reader and her kindle is her favourite piece of technology. Music is her best friend and that manifests itself through her love for dance and singing.

Joana writes stories that portray the reality of her world. Her first book, a two-part short story series called Rise from the Ashes featured the lives of two young girls struggling in dire circumstances.

Her latest book, Nightmare at Emerald High, brings to the fore a world that everybody knows exists but no one talks about.

Website: http://joanajames.webs.com

Malcolm Drake is one year away from the end of high school when a tantalizing scholarship offer comes his way. Malcolm and several other classmates eagerly join a program called Alternative Science that promises to open their minds to new ways of thinking and of course, help them win that scholarship. Little do they know that this program would change their lives forever. The class is riddled with eerie séances, encounters with spirit guides and a slow desensitization of the teens towards everything evil until they become completely entangled in the world of the occult.
With the program being run by the town's most influential people, the kids have a hard time getting out. Things take a turn for the worst when Malcolm is summoned to his school where he is bound and drugged in an effort to convince him to remain in the program.

Genre – Christian Fiction

Purchase Link - Amazon